Many owners of pickup trucks and vans choose to install third party mud flaps to provide enhanced protection against gravel, dirt, ice and mud flung up by the vehicle tires. Unfortunately, it is becoming more difficult to install third party mud flaps because in modern day truck construction, with the current emphasis on reducing vehicle weight and assembly complexity, less fender structure is available on which to attach mud flap fastening elements.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,323,262 and 5,048,868 both issued to Arenhold, disclose two different methods for clamping a mud flap to a fender. Both of these references, however, appear to be directed to providing a universal mud flap kit that could be fit onto a wide variety of vehicles. Unfortunately, this universality detracts from the specific fit of the mud flap kit to any particular vehicle. Because the flap kit allows for flexibility in the scheme of attachment, in order to accommodate various vehicle makes, the installer must use his best judgment during the installation process. On occasion this will result in a mud flap that is installed in an ill positioned manner, thereby not properly protecting the vehicle sides from flung debris. In the alternative, the mud flaps may extend downwardly too far and occasionally touch the roadway, as the vehicle passes through a dip.